Employment
insurance

Accessible Employment Insurance Benefits

For many drawing on Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, the transition from paycheques to benefits to support their families can be stressful. Having the right information, at the right time, is of the essence. To make sure Canadians can get answers to their questions when they need them, we’re increasing access to our call centres and working hard to meet expectations of service excellence.

Increasing access to call centres

It’s now easier for Canadians to get EI information over the phone — and faster to reach specialized call centre agents who understand the EI program and can answer complex questions. Budget 2018’s $127.7-million allocation for expanding EI call centre accessibility over three years starting in 2018–2019, will help us further improve this critical service even more. Reach the call centre at 1-800-206-7218.

Setting clear expectations

So that all Canadians understand what they can expect in terms of service quality and speed, we have reviewed and consulted on the current service standards for EI and are working to make them clearer and more visible and meaningful to Canadians.

Laying the foundation for streamlined EI processes

By modernizing benefits delivery, we will improve the service experience for Canadians, beginning with the Employment Insurance program, by streamlining applications, reducing wait times, communicating with clients proactively, and delivering benefits more effectively and efficiently.